Fastening



Oct. 22, 1929. LE ET A 1,732,408

FASTENING Filed May 16, 1928 Patented Get. 22, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED LEWIS AND HARRY ALPHONSE WIDMER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO THE TUCK-TIIE LOCK & FASTENER COMPANY LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, A COMPANY OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND FASTENING Application filed May 16, 1928, sen-a1 No. 278,268, and in Great Britain March 21, 1928.

The present invention relates to improvements in those spring fastenings described in patent specifications Nos. 1,590,400 dated 29th June, 1926, and 1,642,598, dated 13th September, 1927, in which a bolt attached to one member of the article to be fastened is fitted with a pivoted engaginglatch controlled by an independent spring and adapted to be pushed under a bridge attached to the other member of the article and to be pressed down against the influence of the spring to allow of he tab or boltbeing released from the bridge. These spring fastenings have proved very satisfactory in use and have been adapted for widely different purposes. In addition to use as fastenings for leather and other containers experience has shown that fasteners of this character can be usefully applied to doors and lids of all kinds and sizes, wearing apparel, coverings for motor vehicles and aircraft and for every purpose where a quick and at the same time eflicient fastening is essential or desirable.

a For many purposes it is desirable to employ a fastening which will automatically move into the disengaged position when the catch is released in the manner generally employed in fastenings for suit cases and other articles I 0 of this nature.

The present invention is designed to provide in a fastening of the character described an automatic release from the bridge when the pivoted latch is pressed down below the level of the bridge.

The present invention provides a fastening of the character described, in which the bolt carrying the pivoted latch is free to move in a guideway and is adapted to withdraw automatically from the bridge when its latch is pressed down to release the fastening.

Our invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the memhere of the fastening according to the present invention shown with the sliding bolt apart from the bridge.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the fastening with the members together butwith the bolt Withdrawn from the bridge.

Figure 3 is a section on the line A-B of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the fastening fittedwith a lock and with the bolt in engagement with the bridge.

Figure 5 is a section on the line C-D of Figure/i, and

Figure 6 shows a detail view of an alternative form of limiting stop and guideway therefor.

Referring now to the drawings, the bolt 1 is provided with a recess 2 in which is pivoted a latch 3 provided with a spring 4,- normally urging it upward into the position shown more particularly in Figures 1, 3 and 5 the upward position being limited by the projecting 11p 5. In the fastened position the bolt is pushed through the bridge 6 and held by the latch 3. This construction is substantially the same as that described in our earlier Patents 1,590,400 and 1,642,598. In order to allow of an instantaneous automatic release from the bridge when the hinged engaging latch is pressed down below the level of the bridge 6, the bolt 1 is free to slide in a U- shaped guiding plate 7 screwed or otherwise attached to a member of the article to be fastened suchas for instance the lid of a leather trunk or case and is'controlled by spring means tending to hold the bolt at the closed end of the guideway. The tension springs 8 shown in Figures 3 and 5 connecting the transverse centre wall 18 of the bolt with-the rear end of the guideway have prov-ed satisfactory for the purpose in view, but it should be understood that other forms of spring control may be employed to give the desired result. In the construction shown a limiting stop, such as the stop formed by the lip 9 sliding in the channel 19, is necessary to prevent the bolt member 1 from being drawn entirely out of the guideway 7 If the fastening forming the present invention is applied to these forms of suit case which are expansible, it is desirable to have adjustable limiting stops to allow of varying the extreme forward movement of the bolt 1 in the guideway 7, to agree with the de ree of expansion of the case to which the astener is applied. Such a variable limiti g t p my be pr vi d y spring controlled buttons 11 as shown for example in Figure 6, in the sides of the bolt adapted to engage after a predetermined movement in one or other of the spaced apart openings 12 inthe sides of the guiding plate 7. In order that the sliding bolt may be moved conveniently under the bridge 6 the bolt is provided with a manipulating handle. The member 10' shown in the drawings provides such a handle in a form which is in keeping with the bridge 6 when the latch 3 is in engagement with said bridge and the parts are adjacent. The new fastening is particularly suitable iorpertain types of doors such as for instance bedroom or bathroom doors. When so used the bolt forms a door bolt which is normally out of engagement and when in the locked position can be instantaneously re leased.

In Figures 1, 4 and 5, weshow the application of a lock to the fastening. The construction diflers from that describedin patent specification 1,642,598 in that the lock is arranged beneath the latch 3 and its bolt 14 projects under the lip 5 of the shoulder 3 when in the locked position as shown in Figure 5.

-What we claim isr- 1. A fastening for a container comprising a guideway mounted on one member of the con tainer, a bridge mounted on the other member of said'eontainer in proximity to said guide way, a bolt mounted. in and free to move in said guideway and provided with a latch adapted to be depressed when passing under said bridge andspring means adapted to withdraw said bolt from said bridge when the latch is positively pressed down below the level of the bridge.

2. A fastening for a container comprising a guideway mounted on one member of the container, a bridge mounted on the other member of the container in proximity to said guideway', a bolt mounted in and free to move in said guideway provided with a latch adapted to be'depressed when passing under said bridge, spring means adapted to with draw said bolt from said bridge when said latch is positively pressed down below the level of the bridge and means for limiting the forward movement of said tab bolt in said guidewayi 3. ,A fastening for a container comprising a u-shaped guide plate mounted on one mem ber of the container, a cover plate at the rear end of said guide plate, a bridge mounted on the other member of'the container in proximity to said guide plate, abolt mounted in and tree to move in said guide plate and provided with a latch adapted to be depressed when passing under said bridge, spring me'ans ad'apted to withdraw said bolt ibom said bridge when said latch is posi tively pressed down belew the level of the bridge and a lip at the rear end of said bolt projecting into a channel in the cover plate of said U-shaped guiding plate and adapted to co-act with the closed end of said channel to limit the forward movement of said bolt.

4. A fastening for a container comprising a guideway mounted on one member of the container, a bridge mounted on the other member of said container in proximity to said guideway, a bolt mounted in and free to move in said guideway and provided with a latch adapted to be depressed when passing under said bridge and a tension spring connecting the transverse centre wall of said bolt with the rear end of said guideway and adapted to withdraw it from said bridge when the latch is positively pressed down below the level of the bridge.

5. A fastening for a container comprising a U-shaped guide plate mounted on one member of the container, a cover plate at the rear end of said guide plate a bridge mounted on the other member of the container in proximity to said guide plate, a bolt mounted in and free to move in said guide plate and provided with a latch adapted to be depressed when passing under said bridge, tension springs connecting said bolt with the rear end of U-shaped guide plate and adapted to withdraw it from said bridge when said latch is positively pressed down below the level of the bridge and a lip at the rear end of said bolt pro ecting into a channel in the cover plate of said U-shaped guide plate and adapted to co-act with the closed end of said chan ml to limit the forward movement of said bolt.

6. A fastening for a container comprising a guide'way mounted on one member of the container, a bridge mounted on the other member of said container in )roximity of said gui'deway, a bolt mounted in and free to move in said guideway and provided with a latch ada ted to be depressed when passing under said bridge and a lock mounted in said bolt below said latch having a lock bolt which when shot projects beneath the lip of said shoulder and retains it in its uppermost position, and spring means adapted to withdraw said bolt from said bridge when the latch is positively pressed down below the level of the bridge.

7. A fastening for a container comprising a U-shaped guide plate mounted on one member of the container, :1. cover plate at the rear end of said guide plate, a bridge mounted on the othermember of the container in proximity to said guide plate, a bolt mounted in and free to move in said guide plate and provided with a latch adapted to be depressed when passing under said bridge, tension springs connecting said bolt with the rear end of the U-shaped guide plate and adapted to withdraw it from said bridge when said latch is positively pressed down below the level of the bridge, a lip at the rear end of said bolt projecting into a channel in the cover plate of said U-shaped guide plate and adapted to co-act with the closed end of said channel to limit the forward movement of said bolt and a lock mounted in said bolt 

